What are your thoughts about the team’s performance so far?
So far, the team performance has been pretty good because we are starting to catch rhythm from playing multiple games more frequently as opposed to once a week. We’ve been doing a great job adjusting to the parameters of COVID and when called upon, players have been stepping up.
Your 3-point percentage dropped from last year while remaining at an elite level. And your assist numbers are at your career high. It seems like you’ve had a shift towards your approach to the game.
My 3-point percentage has a lot to do with rhythm and just gaining more confidence as the games go by. I shot around 50% from the 3-point line last year so it’s definitely going to be tough to repeat that but I’m consistently working hard every day to do so. In terms of my shifted approach, I have always thought it is important to get everyone involved and be aggressive.
Karşıyaka’s good start to the season is naturally linked to the familiarity between players and staff. The roster remained mostly unchanged. However, there’s a danger of being predictable to the opponent for the teams whose core remains the same, as teams have more data to scout you. It seems like that’s not a problem for you guys. How did y’all get past this?
I wouldn’t say that we’re predictable because we do have a few new key players and different actions in our plays.
You’ve won 6 of the last 8 games. Impressive wins over Galatasaray, Fenerbahçe, Bahçeşehir Koleji are among these six. Of course, you’d like to win every game but when you look outside in, how sustainable is this positive form you have right now?
It is still very early in the season, meaning we are really just getting started. We have a lot more games and more opportunities to play better given good health from everyone. Trusting each other and knowing if one part of a play or possession breaks down, we have other options to counter have also contributed to that sustainability.
Against Brose Bamberg in Germany, it was only one shot that made the difference and that shot was missed. Before that, Karşıyaka had 3 tries to win it. What are the main lessons you guys take out from that Bamberg game, before Wednesday’s clash in İzmir?
It was a tough stretch for us playing 4 games in 7 days, with 3 of them being away. The main lessons I learned from them would be just to pay attention to detail and continue to work how we have been. We just need to focus on and play our games.